Jerry Lawler

While enrolled in college, Jerry earned his Private Pilot license in 1959. He joined TWA in 1964 as a Lockheed Constellation flight engineer, progressed to Convair 880 first officer, and upgraded to Convair 880 captain in 1968. For the next 30 years he flew captain on the B-707, B-727, B-757, B-767, B-747 and Lockheed L-1011 on both domestic and international routes. Although a loyal TWA employee, Jerry was active in the Air Line Pilots Association, serving as a member of the Board of Directors and Chairman of the Training and Standards Committee.

I was confident of flying a successful single engine ILS approach. However, Murphy’s law was lurking. We were informed that the ILS at Keflavik was not available and was shut down for maintenance. We would have to do a non-precision VOR approach to an altitude well below the prescribed safe landing minimums. The autopilot was not approved for a single engine non-precision approach. I would manually fly the approach.

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Air Facts was first published in 1938 by Leighton Collins, dedicated to “the development of private air transportation.” It’s a different world now, and it’s a different Air Facts. Relaunched in 2011 as an online journal, Air Facts still champions, educates, informs and entertains pilots worldwide with real-world flying experiences.

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